Past Master Mind Masters

“The Four Vagabonds” from left to right are Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone.

Ford remains not only synonyms with cars, but also with techniques of industrial production.

Firestone was able to mass produce the wheels that went on all those Ford cars.

Edison was an inventor par excellence who brought light to the world after dark with his discovery of the incandescent bulb.

So, who was John Burroughs? I didn’t have the answer to that question originally either.

Wikipedia suggests that Burroughs was an American naturalist and nature essayist.

Between the years 1915 and 1924, these four made it a practice to go on summer camping trips.

It seems completely natural then that the other three industrialists would like to have a nature expert with them essentially as their guide.

Whether that is the reason for Burroughs involvement is pure speculation on my part.

Nevertheless, it is clear that by getting together and talking amongst each other and ultimately with numerous others who caravaned with them, these gentleman had unwittingly built what Napoleon Hill later calls a “master mind” which he expressly defines as:

Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.

Hill later explains: “No two minds ever come together without, thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.”

Hmm? I think there must be something to all this master mind business.

If not mistaken Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, though in completely different fields, regularly enjoy each other’s company.

Is it possible that these two who have and had partnership with Charles Munger and Paul Allen respectively, know how to leverage social interactions to positive result?

It appears that there is no body who does it alone and as most of us recognize the opportunity to make positive changes in the world right now is extremely huge.

Perhaps you might consider starting right where you are and see about building a positive relationship with your neighbors.

Is it possible that together you might come up with not only a multi-million dollar idea, but also be able to identify how you might practically go about bringing it to recognition?

Instead of fighting your neighbor and thinking that their perspective is invalid, consider listening to them. This type of respect generally begets respect and then the conversation can start. Cheers!